Henry Gray

Im A Lucky. Lucky Man - In Session 1952-1961 Henry Gray

Where would the Chicago blues scene have been without Henry Gray as mainstay on piano for most of the big stars, names such as Jimmy Rogers, Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Reed and Billy Boy Arnold. This CD presents Henry Gray in another of our "In Session" series not only with some of these big names but sessions recorded under his own name but never issued at the time. His first session was in 1952 with Jimmy Rogers and later that year with Morris Pejoe, both sessions for Chess. In the studio in 1955 with Howlin' Wolf produced the minor hit "Who Will Be Next". Jimmy Reed rarely used piano on his Vee Jay recordings but three from one session has Gray pounding away in the back ground. Henry "pops" up in the middle of Billy Boy's "Here's My Picture" to take an amazing solo. A switch to Parrot records with Dusty Brown then a session on Blue Lake under his own name before the classic G. "Davy" Crockett track "Look out Mable" revered by rock & rollers to this day. Finally we have three more from 1961 with Howlin' Wolf including the iconic "Going Down Slow" enhanced with vocal interjections from Willie Dixon. This release presents the best of Chicago blues in it's heyday with the one of the most talented pianists around at that time